The momentum against the FIA’s gag order against drivers making “political” statements is growing by the day. Most drivers have spoken against it, however, none have made their stance clear on whether they will abide. One man in the middle of it all is Lewis Hamilton. Having been the crusader for equality and inclusivity in F1, the rule was never going to please him. The Briton has now given a big statement that clears his thoughts on the regulation.

Ever since FIA released its statement on the contentious rule, many had doubts about whether Hamilton will comply. That is because of the outspoken activistic side of him that he carries with utmost pride. Some even believe that he will perhaps violate the rule just to gain more attention for the issues close to his heart.

In the recent episode of The Fast And The Curious Podcast, Hamilton said, “I feel we need more empathy and compassion in the world… I just feel a huge responsibility, I’m not just a Formula 1 driver and can just have success and go about my life. This is a platform to spark change, spark conversation, and then, holding people accountable who have been happy with the status quo in the past which has held people down, which has made people not included. We can make change and I want to be a part of helping that and making people feel more included.”

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This is not the first time Lewis has assumed a greater responsibility than just racing.

Lewis Hamilton stresses the need for better leaders in the future

The entire world is going through a churning of late. Many regions are more divided than ever, be it internally or externally. That poses a big question about the kind of leaders we have, according to the 7x world champion.

In a recent interview with Jay Shetty, he said, “There’s so much happening. But there are some great people out there that are doing really great things and I want to be a part of that inspirational energy bubble that people like yourselves [Shetty] are a part of because we need to create a brighter future.”

“We need to create better future leaders. Look how bad our leaders are in government. We need to be a part of the next generation of thought leaders that are positive.”

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It’s qualities like these, the willingness to go the extra mile and not rest on his laurels that make Hamilton stand out. It would be interesting to see whether the FIA takes back the controversial rule before the season starts.